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The Underground Man Audiobook
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(3.03) - 619 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
As a mysterious fire rages through the hills above a privileged town in Southern California, private investigator Lew Archer tracks a missing child who may be the pawn in a marital struggle or the victim of a bizarre kidnapping. What he uncovers amid the ashes is murder—and a trail of motives as combustible as gasoline.
The Underground Man is a detective novel of merciless suspense and tragic depth, with an unfaltering insight into the moral ambiguities at the heart of California’s version of the American dream.
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"The second Lew Archer novel I've read and nearly as enjoyable as the first. While the story is complicated, with lots of ugly history being dug up, it's told in a simple, stripped down way. "
— Ben (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“What gives me special satisfaction about this novel is that no one but a good writer—this good writer—could have possibly brought it off. The Underground Man is Mr. Macdonald’s best book yet, I think. It is not only exhilaratingly well done; it is also very moving.”
— Eudora Welty, New York Times bestselling author -
“[Grover Gardner’s] reading is impeccable. Characters ranging from a dumb blonde to a mentally challenged middle-aged man are presented with delicate yet distinguishable differences. Even the child’s voice is believable, with glimpses of youthful innocence, bravado, and fear.”
— AudioFile -
“Archer solves crimes with the instincts of a psychologist and the conscience of a priest, and the mid-twentieth-century Southern California setting is a wonderful ride in the Wayback Machine.”
— Los Angeles Times, praise for the series -
“I should like to venture that Ross Macdonald is a better novelist than either…Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler.”
— New York Times Book Review, praise for the author
Awards
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A Los Angeles Times Pick of the Best Mystery Series
The Underground Man Listener Reviews
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PRS, 2/18/2022
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" Why I decided to pick up McDonald, I don't know, but it was a pretty good story, but not great. "
— Jim, 12/30/2013 -
" This a pretty good mistery. I enjoyed it. Felt the dialog was a bit stilted at times. "
— Alice, 8/23/2013 -
" Southern California is burning up and a little boy has vanished. Lew Archer investigates and is caught up in a complicated and tangled web of plot. A hardboiler. "
— Rae, 8/21/2013 -
" A good California-noir with not much of an ending. "
— Ben, 7/25/2013 -
" A nicely plotted little mystery, written very much in the style of Chandler, but without the same depth of character and the grim worldview that makes Chandler such good reading. "
— Sean, 7/4/2013 -
" The second Lew Archer novel I've read and nearly as enjoyable as the first. While the story is complicated, with lots of ugly history being dug up, it's told in a simple, stripped down way. "
— Ben, 6/9/2013 -
" Macdonald's the best, well...one of the best. "
— Mike, 5/20/2013 -
" I'll definitely seek out more Lew Archer novels after this one. Macdonald's emphasis on psychology & symbolism was truly amazing. "
— Caelin, 5/10/2013 -
" Everything this guy wrote is terrific. "
— John, 12/9/2012 -
" Great book I enjoyed this one. The mystery was okay... The theme was nice, but a bit slow paced. "
— Josh, 8/5/2012 -
" I seem to like everything I read of Ross MacDonald's. "
— Barb, 7/14/2011 -
" Quintessential airport read. Fast, easy prose with an utterly predictable plot line and utterly predictable characters. "
— Billy, 5/24/2011 -
" It's a peach. Like many of his stories family history lies behind the solution. "
— Ann, 5/14/2011 -
" It's a peach. Like many of his stories family history lies behind the solution. "
— Ann, 1/13/2011 -
" A nicely plotted little mystery, written very much in the style of Chandler, but without the same depth of character and the grim worldview that makes Chandler such good reading. "
— Sean, 12/15/2010 -
" This a pretty good mistery. I enjoyed it. Felt the dialog was a bit stilted at times. "
— Alice, 7/10/2009 -
" I seem to like everything I read of Ross MacDonald's. "
— Barb, 9/14/2008 -
" A good California-noir with not much of an ending. "
— Ben, 7/9/2008 -
" Everything this guy wrote is terrific. "
— John, 3/12/2008
About Ross Macdonald
Ross Macdonald (1915–1983) was the pen name of Kenneth Millar. For over twenty years he lived in Santa Barbara and wrote mystery novels about the fascinating and changing society of his native state. He is widely credited with elevating the detective novel to the level of literature with his compactly written tales of murder and despair. His works have received awards from the Mystery Writers of America and of Great Britain, and his book The Moving Target was made into the movie Harper in 1966. In 1982 he was awarded the Eye Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Private Eye Writers of America.
About Grover Gardner
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.